Tag: jimmy oliver

On this day: Former Boston forward Willie Naulls born; Jimmy Oliver signed

On this day, former Boston Celtic forward Willie Naulls was born, and ex-Boston shooting guard Jimmy Oliver signed with the team.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, champion small forward Willie Naulls was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1934. A graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, where he played for Hall of Fame coaching legend John Wooden, Naulls was selected with the ninth pick of the 1956 NBA draft by the (then) St. Louis (now, Atlanta) Hawks.

He played 19 games with that organization before being traded to the New York Knicks early in his rookie year. Naulls spent the bulk of his career with the Knicks, who named him the first Black team captain in league history.

It wasn’t the last trade of his career of course, or you would not be reading about him on this site.

Every player in Boston Celtics history who wore No. 27

Today’s installment focuses on the 12 players who wore No. 27 over the years as of August 2023.

The Boston Celtics have more retired jerseys than any other team in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean the rest of their jerseys have little history of interest tied to them.

In fact, with 17 titles to their name and decades of competitive basketball played in them, their unretired jersey numbers pack in some of the most history not hanging from the rafters of any team in the league. To that end, we have launched our accounting of that history, with every player in every jersey worn by more than one Celtics player in the storied franchise’s history accounted for.

Today’s installment focuses on the 12 players who wore No. 27 over the years as of August 2023.

On this day: Former Boston forward Willie Naulls born; Jimmy Oliver signed

On this day, former Boston Celtic forward Willie Naulls was born, and ex-Boston shooting guard Jimmy Oliver signed with the team.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, champion small forward Willie Naulls was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1934. A graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, where he played for Hall of Fame coaching legend John Wooden, Naulls was selected with the ninth pick of the 1956 NBA draft by the (then) St. Louis (now, Atlanta) Hawks.

He played 19 games with that organization before being traded to the New York Knicks early in his rookie year. He spent the bulk of his career with the Knicks, who named him the first Black team captain in league history.

It wasn’t the last trade of his career of course, or you would not be reading about him on this site.